Universal clamping flange die set



Feb. 24, 1970 UCKQLg ETAL r 3,496,822

UNIVERSAL CLAMPING FLANGE DIE SET Filed Feb. 14, 1968 "Mill PRIOR ART INVENTORS v R0195? N06 5 #N/CHOL c/A A TTOR/VE Y5 United States Patent 3,496,822 UNIVERSAL CLAMPING FLANGE DIE SET Robert M. Nuckols, Orange Village, Ohio, and Nicholas Ciano, Cranston, R.I., assignors to Die Supply Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Feb. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 705,477 Int. Cl. B26d 7/02, 7/26 US. Cl. 83-637 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to a die set for use in a punch press and, more particularly, to a novel die set including a die shoe and punchholder, the die shoe being adjustably supported on a bolster support in the punch press to accommodate movement of the die shoe laterally of a vertical plane through the punchholder and the axis of the shank carried thereon.

Essentially, a die set is a two-piece mechanism used in a punch press to support the tooling and to precisely guide the tooling. The die set includes a die shoe adapted to be secured to a bolster on the punch press frame and a punchholder having a shank extending therefrom adapted to be secured to the ram of the punch press. A pair of guide pins extending from the die shoe cooperate with bushings in the punchholder to guide the punchholder toward and away from the die shoe.

The tooling may comprise a bushing suitably aflixed to the die shoe and a punch suitably connected to the punchholder. Ordinarily, the bolster is provided with a T-slot on the upper surface thereof. The die shoe has clamping flanges formed on opposite sides thereof to precisely accommodate T-headed bolts. The heads of the bolts engage in the T-slot in the bolster and are secured to the flanges on the die shoe to connect the die shoe to the bolster. The parts are constructed and arranged so that the transverse axis through the flange recesses is in vertical alignment with the center of the T-slot in the bolster. In assembled relationship, the axis of the shank of the punchholder, which coincides with the axis of the ram, must lie in a plane through the center of the clamping flange opening and the T-slot in the bolster.

However, in the punch press industry and die set industry, the location of the shank in the punchholder of a die set has been a problem. In some cases, the shank is centered on the punchholder, whereas in other cases, it is centered in the die space of the punchholder, that is, the area extending from a plane through the outside diameter of the bushings, or alternatively from a plane through the axes of the bushings, to the opposite side or front of the punchholder. There is no single standard, and, therefore, the purchaser of die sets must either design around the available die sets, or else purchase the item as a special die set at considerable additional expense. Similarly, the manufacturer of stock die sets is faced with the problem of offering a number of die sets to accommodate different locations of the shank.

It is desired that the axis of the shank be coincident with the axis of the ram of the punch press and that said axes lie in a vertical plane through the transverse axis of the die shoe, that is, the center line of the hold-down flanges on the die shoe into which T-headed bolts are inserted to clamp the die shoe to the bolster. The center of the T-slot in the bolster is normally located in said vertical plane which contains the axis of the punch press ram, which ram receives the shank of the die set. If the position of the shank varies in different punchholders, then the shank cannot properly be secured to the ram for all die sets, since in some die sets, once the die shoe is secured to the bolster, the shank will be out of alignment with the ram.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved die set having means thereon for accommodating adjustment of the die shoe on the bolster, so as to overcome the disadvantages and deficiencies of prior art constructions. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter.

Brief description of the drawing Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the attached drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a die set embodying the present invention aflixed in place on a bolster;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the connection to a bolster of a flange of a die shoe in the die set of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a prior art die shoe;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a die shoe embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modified die shoe embodying the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring ot FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a die set 10 embodying the present invention. The die set 10 is illustrated in position on a bolster 12. The bolster 12 is a large, heavy metal support adapted to be secured to the frame of a punch press. Provided in the upper surface of the bolster 12 is a T-slot 14, which normally extends inwardly from the one side of the bolster. The bolster 12 is commonly secured to the frame of the punch press such that a vertical plane through the center of the T-slot 14 would include the axis of the ram of the punch press.

The die set 10 is comprised of two parts of a die shoe 16 and a punch holder 22. The die shoe 1-6 is adapted to be secured to the bolster by means of suitable fastening means, for example, a T-headed bolt 18 and a nut 20. The bolt 18 includes a T-head 18a adapted to be disposed in slot 14 in the bolster 12 and a stem 18b which has the upper end thereof threaded for receiving the nut 20. The stem 18b of the hold-down bolt 18 extends through an opening in the hold-down flange 30 of the die shoe for securing the die shoe to the bolster. The punch holder 22 is adapted to be secured to the ram of the punch press and is adapted to be precisely guided for movement toward and away from the die shoe by appropriate guide means. As shown, the guide means take the form of guide pins 24 adapted to be secured at their lower ends to the die shoe and extending upwardly at right angles to the surface of the die shoe. Connected to the punch holder 22 and depending therefrom, are the bushings 25, which are adapted to cooperate with the pins 24. Extending at a right angle from the upper surface of the punch holder 22 is a shank 26, which is adapted to be secured to the ram of the punch press.

Normally, the bolster 12 is secured to the punch press frame such that a vertical plane through the center of the T-shaped slot 14 includes the axis of the shank 26 and of the ram to which the shank 26 is secured. As aforenoted in some cases, the shank is not precisely centered on the punch holder, but is centered in the area extending from the edge of the bushing to the edge of the punch holder indicated at 22a, or alternatively, is centered in an area defined between a plane through the bushing openings 23 in the punch holder and the surface 22a.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a prior art die shoe 116 having hold-down flanges 130 extending from opposite sides. Provided in the hold-down flanges are recesses 132 having a width substantially the same as the diameter of a hold-down bolt, so as to precisely align the transverse axis X of the die shoe 116 if secured to the bolster. As indicated above, if the shank position varies, then the shank will not be aligned over the center line of the T-shaped slot and the shank may not be in alignment with the ram.

Turning to FIG. 4, there is illustrated in the plan view a die shoe 16 embodying the present invention. Extending upwardly from the accurately machined planar surface 16a of the die shoe 16 are the guide pins 24. In the pres ent invention, the hold-down flanges 30 are provided with slot-like openings 31, which are elongated to either side of the transverse axis of the die block. The axis Y of each elongated opening 31 is at right angles to the transverse axis X of the block 16. By virtue of the slot-like openings in the hold-down flanges 30, the die shoe may be moved laterally to either side of the center line of the T-slot 14, that is, the transverse axis X of the die shoe 16 may be moved to either side of a vertical plane extending through the center of the T-slot securing means 14 (or tapped holes in some bolsters which do not have T-slots). As a result, the axis of the shank 26 may be moved into alignment with the vertical plane through the center line of the T-slot (or tapped holes in some bolsters which are in alignment with the center lines of the ram) which vertical plane also includes the axis of the ram. The die set of the present invention is a universal die set in that it can be used to accommodate variations in shank arrangement.

In FIG. 5, there is illustrated a modification of the present invention wherein the hold-down flanges 30' of the die shoe 16' define a slot-like opening 31', which is accessible from exterior of the die shoe, that is, there is an opening 33' provided in the exterior wall defining the flange 30, so as to permit access into the slot-like opening 31'. In all other respects, the construction of die block 16 illustrated in FIG. conforms to that of FIG. 4.

There has been provided by the present invention an improved die set, which is adapted to accommodate punch holders having variations in shank position. The die shoe 16 of the die set is provided with elongated openings, having parallel major axes, which extend at right angles to the transverse axis of the die block. In use, the transverse axis of the die shoe is positioned coincident with a vertical plane through the center line of the T-slot, which vertical plane also includes the axis of the shank 26, as well as the axis of the ram to which the shank is secured.

While we have shown presently preferred forms of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since it may otherwise be embodied within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a punch press, a die set comprising a punch holder and a die shoe adapted to be aflixed to a bolster, cooperating tool means adapted to be secured to said punch holder and die shoe, the punch holder and the die shoe being provided with complementary guide means for effecting precise guided movement of the punch holder toward and away from the die shoe, a shank extending at right angles from the punch holder for aflixing the punch holder to a ram in the punch press, securing means in the bolster having a center line adapted to be aligned in a vertical plane with the center line of the shank, and fastening means for detachably securing the die shoe to a bolster along the transverse axis of the die shoe, the improvement comprising slot-like openings in opposite sides of the die shoe, said openings having parallel axes that extend at right angles to the transverse axis of the die shoe for permitting adjustable aflixation of the die shoe on the bolster laterally of said vertical plane to permit centering of the shank in said vertical plane, thereby accommodating variation in shank position in the punch holder of dififerent die sets.

2. A die set as in Claim 1 wherein the die shoe includes hold-down flanges having elongated openings therein, the fastening means including hold-down bolts having a stem of predetermined cross section, the openings in said flanges being elongated more than said predetermined cross-section so as to permit adjustment of said die shoe on said bolster.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,850,096 9/1958 Berlin et al. 83-641 2,930,271 3/1960 Whistler et al 83700 X 3,386,781 6/1968 Blazek et al. 83-637 X WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 83-685, 700 

